The Fate of the Gods
by ChrisCard
Summary: Set during the fall of the Colonies, this is the story of the Battlestar Ragnarok as the crew battle to bring the ship under control and save whoever can be saved.


The Fate of the Gods

Ragnarok – The battle at the end of the world between the Asguardians led by Odin and the Fire Giants.

"Black, everything is so black, what happened to the lights?" He awoke to find total darkness surrounding him. Pain slowly began to fill his head, he could feel the slow trickle of blood running down his face as the smell of burnt electronics and smoke filled the air of the CIC. Suddenly the emergency lighting flickered into life, the Commander found himself lying on the deck next to the DRADIS station, beside him lay the motionless body of LT Vallow, a promising young Navigation officer who only joined his crew 3 months earlier.

"Sir, SIR are you alright?" he could hear a voice, his hearing was beginning to return, it was familiar voice but it was almost drowned out by the confusing sound of screams for help and alarms buzzing, the concussion was still leaving him feeling confused and dazed. Looking up he could see a hand reaching out to him, it was his XO, Colonel David West. "Commander Sheridan, are you ok sir?" he asked. Taking his XO's hand he stood up and looked around holding his head, revealing a scene of total devastation in what only a few seconds before had been the pristine Command and Information Centre (CIC) of the Battlestar, _his_ Battlestar, the Ragnarok.

"XO, Sit-Rep" he ordered regaining his composure, looking at the blood stained cloth he held to his head. "Cylons sir, Fracking Cylons" replied the XO, "they jumped right in on top of us, we didn't even have time to set condition one, they got us with our God's damn pants down!"

"What's the status of the ship, are we still in the fight?" asked Cdr Sheridan fearing he already knew the answer if the scene in the CIC was anything to go by. "Barely sir" replied the XO, "we've sustained heavy damage to the port flight pod, half the launch tube's are shot and we can forget about retrieving anything on that side. Port Dorsal Sub-Light engine is out of action, FTL still online. We've lost 17 point defence batteries and 3 KEW turrets, hull breaches in section's 12 through to 18 and damage control team's are fighting fire's on deck's 4, 7 and 9"

"Damn, they did hit us hard" Cdr Sheridan thought out loud, but we're still in the fight. "What's the status of the rest of the fleet?" he enquired while a crew member applied a bandage to his head wound. "That's just it Sir, we are getting very confused signal's from all Colonial Fleet unit's in the system. It seems they're experiencing system failures across the board, entire Battlestars and Viper's are falling out of the sky like somebody pulled the switch. It has to be the Cylons, they show up and launch an attack and our defences fail at the critical moment".

"Well let's not make it easy for those toaster's, we have already been lucky once, they probably think they finished us, pull all networked computers and switch targeting system's to manual, set DRADIS to passive scans, we don't want to tell them we're alive in here" "Yes Sir" replied the XO signalling for a yeoman to pass the order's to the technicians and gun crew's.

The pain in his head was intense, it felt like a hot rod had been shoved inside his brain and electric was shooting out of it, but still, there was no time for this, the pain could wait, he can feel sorry for himself later, right now he has a ship and crew to command and get into this fight as quickly as he can.

"Mr Gomez" shouted the Commander, a young ensign looked up from a computer console towards the sound of his voice. "Can you do anything to clean the DRADIS screens?" he asked the ensign. "Yes Sir, I'll see what I can do" he replied diving back into the console he was at, the young ensign was already on the case and only a few seconds later the DRADIS screen turned from a snowy picture of static to a black screen that one by one started to show all contacts in the system.

"My Gods" said the XO, "I've never seen anything like that, there must be hundreds of the frackers, thousands!"

"That's enough David" said Commander Sheridan in a sombre voice "it doesn't matter if there is ten or ten thousand, they're Cylons in _OUR _system and I certainly don't remember sending them an invite, so it's up to us to show them the door". He paused, taking a second to regain his composure. Around him his crew was doing the same, some were looking to him for inspiration. The scene of total chaos and confusion he awoke to only a few short minutes ago had, just like the smoke that filled the room, been replaced by professionalism and actions befitting of the Colonial Fleet.

Looking at the DRADIS screen, it was overwhelmingly filled with the red markers of enemy units. The few green friendly Colonial transponder signals were blinking one by one out of existence as more and more good people paid the ultimate price. Any feelings of self pity or pain were soon replaced with anger. Anger and a sense of purpose.

"Order all Viper squadron's into the launch tube's and standby for immediate launch, prep Raptors for SAR mission's and missile intervention duties. Bring all defensive batteries online for enemy fighter and ordnance suppression, ready all missile tubes and KEW turrets for ship to ship combat. Inform engineering to deactivate all engine safety protocol's and standby for damage control, I want everything she's got".

"Yes Sir!" replied Col West with a sense of excitement knowing that very soon some Cylon toaster's were going to be very sorry for turning up uninvited at Colonies. He grabbed the handset and contacted the department head's issuing their order's. The ship had a well trained crew, he had made sure of that himself through rigorous training and discipline, he and the commander knew that every man and woman would do their duty.

"Nav's" said Cmr Sheridan "NAV's" he shouted looking around and wondering why there was no answer, then he remembered, Lt Vallow was dead, he was far too young for that, but then again, who isn't. "Lt Sulkin, I need you to take over the Nav station for me, can you do that?" The Lt was standing next to the navigation console when the commander spotted him. This could be it, his moment to shine. Sometimes all it takes is an opportunity to present itself for you to prove what you are capable of. "Yes Sir! What are your orders?"

"On the DRADIS screen position 2114 mark 376 there appears to be a group of Colonial ship's holding off against several Basestar's, plot an inter system FTL jump and put us next to the friendlies". "Yes sir" replied the Lt. "Comm's, can you contact the Colonial ship's at that location?" asked the commander, knowing full well the answer. "Negative Sir, the Cylons are jamming all communication frequencies, it could be coming from one of the Basestars at that location" replied the ships comm's officer.

Picking up the handset and taking a breath, Commander Lance Sheridan depressed the press to talk button. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing as that familiar tone sounded throughout the ship when an announcement was about to be made.

"Attention all hands, this is the Commander. This ship, along with the entire Colonial fleet has been attacked by an overwhelming Cylon force in what appears to be an all out assault against the Colonies. They hit us, and they hit us hard, but they made the mistake of leaving us for dead. _WE ARE NOT DEAD_. As we speak untold number's of our fellow service men, women and civilian's are dying. Its our job to stop that. Our system's are back online and we can see what we are up against. We can see where our fellow brother's are dying and where they are standing. We are about to make a short inter system FTL jump to a group of Colonial ship's that are under a sustained attack by several Basestars. You have your order's, you know what is expected of you. We have at this moment in time several million rounds of assorted ammunition on board this ship. It is my intention to arrange a first class delivery service of those rounds to the Cylons. Stand by for FTL jump. Ragnarok Actual Out".

He placed the handset back on the station in front of him. The CIC was silent. He could feel the stare of dozens of face's gazing upon his own. There is nothing more to say now, all he can do is lead by example and trust in his crew to do their best, like they always have.

"Nav's, have you plotted the jump coordinates?" he asked. "Yes sir, jump coordinates plotted and FTL drive spun up, ready at your command" replied Lt Sulkin.

The Commander could hear the fear in the Lt's voice, but there is no time for that now, he will have to keep it for another day, just like himself.

"Very good, on my mark... 3...2...1...jump"

* * *

The Cylon Basestar launched another wave of Raider's towards the civilian ship's, 3 were already disabled and venting atmosphere through hull rupture's, ruptures that were large enough to allow some unlucky civilian and crew member's to be pulled through to their death's. To add insult to injury the Cylon Raiders were only using their cannons on the civilian ship's, they weren't even worth wasting missiles on. It was a slaughter.

Barely a few hundred metres away from the burning wreck of the liner Diomedes was the Dauntless Class Gunstar Warspite. Badly damaged and taking a constant pounding, the Cylon's still thought she was at least worthy of missile's. Impact after impact hit her heavy ablative armour, but this is what she was built for, this is what she was designed for, this is what she was here for. Returning fire with her point defence batteries, she kept the skies clear around her of enemy Raider's, keeping herself between the civilian ship's and the Basestars.

* * *

"That is one stubborn fracking little ship" snarled Cavil (a one model) human form Cylon. "Its been fun, but now its time to die, let's target them with a nuke, lets finish it here so we don't miss all the fun on Caprica" His hand's were in a liquid solution that provided direct access to the Basestars system's, instantly a nuclear missile was loaded into its tube and launched towards the Warspite.

* * *

"Radiological signature detected sir! They're launching a nuke at us!" The tactical officer on board the Warspite alerted the ship's commander of the incoming missile.

"Target that missile with the dorsal point defence guns (PDG's), take it down!" shouted Lt Griffin, he assumed command after the ship's commander was killed minute's earlier when a large detonation caused a power conduit to explode. "I cant sir! Dorsal PDG's are offline, we still have ventral system's" replied the tac officer. "Very well, emergency RCS thruster's, turn the ship and bring the ventral PDG's to bare! A sense of urgency and panic was just below the surface of his voice, he knew full well what this missile meant.

"Its too late sir" replied the Tac Officer "we don't have time, impact in 10 seconds...9...8..."

* * *

As if brought into existence by the same force that created the universe itself, the Odin class Battlestar Ragnarok flashed into existence next to the Gunstar Warspite.

Within 3 seconds her systems were coming back online following the FTL jump and her suppression batteries began delivering rounds towards the enemy. Radiological alarms sounded in all gun crew control system's and automatically her defences were brought to bare on that missile, making short work of it, saving the Warspite and her brave crew from annihilation.

* * *

"WHAT THE FRAK!? Where did they come from!?" Shouted the one model Cylon. Not one of the other human form's dared answer, they were all just as shocked to see another Battlestar, a _functioning_ Battlestar jump into this genocide.

"That's the Ragnarok" said a three model. "The RAGNAROK?" asked the one, "we destroyed the Ragnarok!"

"Clearly we didn't" replied the three. " No, _clearly_ we didn't, I want it gone and I want it gone NOW!" Cavil bit back with venom in his voice.

* * *

On board the Ragnarok, the ships DRADIS was having a hard time making sense of the contact's surrounding the ship. There were hundred's in the immediate area, unfortunately it was soon becoming clear the vast majority of these were debris field's of destroyed civilian ship's.

Viper's were being launched as soon as the jump was complete and were already beginning to form up into their squadron's to press home the attack against the Cylon Raider's. They were out numbered over 9 to 1 but a Colonial Viper pilot never was one for odds.

The Ragnaroks defence batteries lit up the night sky almost instantly after the jump, immediately claiming the ship's first combat kill, and then her second, and third. A defensive perimeter was established allowing a little breathing space and room for Raptors to be launched in relative safety.

Feeling a sense of calm that only combat can bring, Commander Sheridan picked up the handset and ordered the CAG "Have Red and Blue squadron's engage enemy Raiders, Black and Green squadron's are to protect and assist the Raptors and take out any missiles that get through our flak screen's"

The CAG could be heard over the speakers in the CIC issuing the orders to his Viper's "Alright all Viper's weapons free, Red and Blue Squadron's engage the Raiders, Black and Green form up with the Raptors and mop up any incoming ordnance, God's speed"

"Sir, we're receiving a transmission from one of the Colonial ship's, they're transmitting a Fleet transponder code, they say they are the Gunstar Warspite" stated the comm's officer.

"I thought you said all frequencies were being jammed" the ship shuddered as a small missile impacted her outer hull plating. "It must be due to our proximity sir, transponder code's are verified"

"Very good, them through to here" With that the commander lifted the hand set "This is Commander Sheridan of the Battlestar Ragnarok, who am I speaking to?"

"This is Lt Griffin, I have assumed command of the Warspite, we thought everyone was gone! Our ship is heavily damaged, FTL damaged but repairable and we're almost out of ammunition, you need to get these civilian ship's away from here, they could be the only survivor's from Caprica!"

"Understood" said Cdr Sheridan "let us take over the fight for you, I want you to lead the civilian ships away at best possible speed, we will hold the Cylons off for as long as we can. There is a ship, the Galactica, she may have survived this massacre, I am sending you her last known coordinates, get those civilian's to her, those are your order's".

"Yes sir, Warspite actual out" The transmission ended.

* * *

"Why is that ship still here...and _WHY _are those ships moving away from us!?" the one model screamed, pure anger and rage filling his face.

"You worry too much dear brother" said an eight with a smile.

* * *

They had the numbers and they had the missiles, but the Cylon Raiders were no match for the Vipers that were issuing destruction upon them. Cutting down one after another, the Vipers began the level out the odds, but still the end was a foregone conclusion. Not even a full squadron of Aces could win this fight. Still, each little pop, each little explosion, meant one less Raider to worry about, and that gave untold satisfaction for those behind the triggers.

Black and Green squadron's were entangled amongst the civilian ships removing any Raiders that dared get too close. They were a range of ships never before seen together. There was the Zephyr, a large and antiquated ring ship turned liner. There was the Demetrius, a sewage processing barge, then there was the Rising Star, a medical transport. They each had their use, they each had to survive.

The Damage to the Warspite was clear for everyone to see. The ship had taken a pounding. Far more than she was ever designed to take. Leading the civilian ship's away while the Ragnarok and her squadron's kept the Basestars and their Raider's occupied, it was possible, just possible she could survive this fight. Suddenly a series of small flashes appeared directly in front of her and the civilian ship's.

"What are they CAG" asked a Viper pilot over the COMM system. "I don't know, but they sure don't look friendly, engage them with missiles" he replied.

"We're all out and fuel is running low too" came a reply. "Frak! Ok engage them with guns, use your fracking sidearms if you have to" replied the CAG as he pressed his throttle to full, closing the distance.

"New contact's sir!" shouted the tactical officer on the Warspite "Where?" demanded the ship's commander. "Directly in front of us sir! They're launching missiles!" came the reply "oh my gods, they're Nuclear!"

Realising the escorting Viper squadron's would not have enough time to intercept the incoming nukes, and any detonation this close to the civilian ships would destroy them all, Lt Griffin made the only decision that could be made.

"Helm, full military thrust, steer us away from the civilian ship's, get as much space between us and them as we can! He ordered.

"Yes sir" came the reply. Instantly the ship's large sub-light engines roared into life, all fuel channel's were open, they went into overdrive, it was a speed that could not be sustained for very long, but it wouldn't have to be.

The first impact took place on the ships bow. It was of a magnitude unseen before and ripped through the ship's armour, melting deck's, fusing gun's, shattering armour plate's. It sent a blast through the ship's now exposed interior. The lucky one's died instantly in the blast, the unlucky one's were exposed to the vacuum of space. The second and third impact hit her midships, they broke her back splitting the ship into two exposing her Tylium tank's just as the forth and final nuke impacted, igniting her fuel reserves causing a chain reaction that all but vaporised the Warspite.

"FRAK ME!" came the response from a Viper pilot. The explosion was blinding, any closer and half the Vipers would have been lost in the explosion. Somehow they had managed to get the ship far enough away from most of the civilian ship's, only 2 were caught up in the explosion. "Ok people we still have a job to do, lets get those Cylons before they target the Civilians" said the CAG

"Sir I have 28 rounds left" came a reply "and I have less than 7% fuel" came another. "We need to protect those civilians people, make everything count, we cant loose any more" the CAG replied.

"So say we all!" came a unanimous reply.

* * *

"Oh my, now that was a surprise I did not see coming" said the one model in a calm, pleased voice.

"I told you" said the eight "you worry too much"

" Well now sister, I can see great things ahead for you, great things indeed"

* * *

Ensign Gomez was maintaining a close watch on the DRADIS screen when he noticed a yet another green contact disappear. Refreshing the display he ran a verification just to be sure. There was no mistake.

"Sir" he shouted getting Cdr Sheridans attention "yes what is it Ensign?"

"Sir, we just lost the Warspite sir."

"Are you sure? Check the systems" replied the commander.

"I already did sir, she's definitely gone" he replied, feeling a sense of mortality creeping upon himself.

"Damn, what about the civilian ships? Black and Green Squadrons?" enquired the commander.

"We lost two civilian ships in the Nuclear explosions sir, but it looks like the Warspite managed to move away from the majority of the civilian ships, Black and Green squadrons have taken heavy losses and report their munitions and fuel reserves are dangerously low, they are engaging the Cylon ships that destroyed the Warspite, but, some already don't have enough fuel to return to base (RTB)" said the Ensign.

"Send a transmission to the civilian ships, tell them to jump immediately to the rendezvous point with the Galactica" ordered the commander. "We have lost too many people today, we cant let all this be for nothing. Those civilian ships must survive."

"Sir, our transmissions are being jammed, the civilian ship's have moved too far away from us, it has to be those Basestars" said the ensign.

"Well then that makes things easy" retorted the commander "NAV's bring us about, point us straight at those bastard's and engage full thrust, TACTICAL I want all forward batteries to engage the nearest Basestar at will, give them every last damn thing we've got! COMMS, keep transmitting instruction's and coordinates to the civilian ships"

* * *

"Oh, now this _is_ novel, look at that my brothers and sisters, I do believe that we have upset the Ragnarok, how predictable. Launch ALL Raiders, lets show our fathers that their children have taken their rightful place on their throne" said the lead number one model.

"Why risk more Raiders brother, why not just finish it with some Nukes?" asked a number four.

"Because _brother_, the ship is already dead, they're just too stubborn to know it yet, besides, I want to keep some Nuke's to drop over Caprica" replied the one, with a look of disdain in his eyes at his brother for questioning his order.

* * *

The battered and scorched hulk of the Odin Class Battlestar Ragnarok began her laboured turn to face the Basestars head on. She had taken more punishment than anyone thought possible. These ships were tough, everyone always knew that, but nobody thought they were _this_ tough.

Impact after impact exploded on her hull as some Cylon missiles found their way through her defensive barrage. By now almost all her Vipers were gone. Red and Blue squadrons had taken out more than 170 Raiders, but lost almost all their own, only a few Vipers remained onboard who were currently rearming and refuelling for what would be a suicide mission if they went back out there.

Black and Green squadron's had managed to destroy the Cylon heavy Raider's that destroyed the Warspite, but at great cost as none had enough fuel to return to the Ragnarok and some took out their target's in Kamikaze attack's.

Now it was down to the Ragnarok herself to make the Cylons feel retribution.

"Coming up with a firing solution on the first Basestar sir, five seconds, four, three, two, one"

"FIRE!" shouted the commander, watching the viewing monitor displaying the Basestar directly in front of his ship. The Ragnaroks forward batteries opened up in sequence, the entire ship shuddered under the tremendous force of her gun's followed almost immediately by her secondary and KEW turrets, everything she had was being directed at this one target.

"Sir, they're launching more Raiders, they're on an intercept course, shall I recommence defensive batteries? Asked the XO.

"No, save everything for the Basestars" the commander replied.

The Ship shuddered again as her main batteries opened fire again against the Basestar. Round after round of heavy anti-ship ordnance impacted the hull of the Basestar, one by one tearing a large hole that seemed to dig deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast. It was a lucky shot by a KEW turret that hit the jackpot, a Tylium fuel line deep inside the gaping wound that ignited secondary explosion's that seemed to ripple over the entire length of the ship before setting off a massive explosion that cut the ship into a thousand pieces.

There were no cheers, no joyous praise in the CIC, only cool thought as their attentions turned to the second Basestar.

"FRAK!" said Cavil "How did that happen!?"

* * *

"You let them do it brother" Said a four "we should have Nuked them when we had the chance, we lost that Basestar because of you"

"Frak you!" said Cavil as he brought out a pistol and fired one shot that landed right into his brother's forehead. "Does anyone else have anything they would like to say?" he asked rhetorically not getting any response. "Move us away from that Fracking ship and get some reinforcements here NOW" he ordered a six who had her hands in the stream.

* * *

"Will you look at that, the mother frackers are retreating!" said the XO with a smile on his face

"Helm, get us closer, I want the muzzle flash from our guns to scorch their hull" said the commander, not taking his eye's off the forward screen. Maybe he is right, maybe they are retreating.

Just then the ship lurched under the pressure of a massive explosion from above, it was as if the God's were punishing him for allowing himself to think such foolish thought's of a victory here. Inside the CIC screens exploded all around him, panel's fell off bulkheads and crew were thrown into the air, breaking bones when they landed. It was another Basestar, the Cylon reinforcements, it jumped right in on top of the Ragnarok and launched a Nuke before anyone knew it was there.

That pain, that throbbing pain in his head was back. Not now, there isn't time for this. The commander found himself thrown over the Navigation table next to the DRADIS console.

"REPORT! XO REPORT!" he shouted. For the first time in the nearly 7 years he served with his XO there was no reply. Looking over to his right where he had been standing just moments before, was his friend, his XO, lying motionless his eyes wide open. His last act was to push his commander out of the way of the falling DRADIS system sacrificing himself for his friend.

Kneeling beside Colonel David West's body he placed his hand's over his eyes, shutting them for the last time. "Keep me a drink my friend, and make it a strong one, I'll be there soon"

Screams of pain filled the air. That foul smell of smoke, of burnt equipment was back. The lights were flickering, barely staying on at all. The ship was gone, and more than that, the crew all knew they were gone with her, but it wasn't a look of fear or anger on their faces, it was a look of acceptance, they had done their duties, they had made a difference.

Stumbling over to the handset, he lifted it and uttered the word's he swore he would never say.

"This is the commander, abandon ship, abandon..." he stopped himself short. The line to the handset had been severed.

He looked around, most crew sat at their stations, some tended to the injured offering what support they could to their wounded colleagues.

"Ensign Gomez" he shouted, looking towards the young man's empty station fearing the worse.

A head popped up from under the console "Sir, the DRADIS is down sir, I cant fix it, I'm sorry sir" he said.

"Its ok son, the civilian ships, what was their status before we lost contact?" asked the commander in a soft tone.

"Gone sir, the screen showed no friendlies sir" was his reply

"Thats good enough for me" the Cdr turned, "HELM..." no reply

He looked over at the helm station, several bodies were slumped over their stations. These heroes had already joined the Lords of Kobol. The commander made his way over to the helm station restoring the ship's course to head on with the Basestars last known position before the explosion took out all their instrumentation. They were flying blind.

"Plus 20 degrees Y axis Sir!" came Ensign Gomez's voice.

"Ensign?" enquired the commander

"Plus 20 degrees Y axis, they moved position just as we lost our instruments, I never took my eye off the screen sir, not once" came the young ensigns reply.

"No son, you didn't, its been an honour"

* * *

"Well will you look at that, we blinded them! The poor frackers, maybe we should just let them drift off into the endless void for all eternity, a testament to their survival if you could call it that" said the one.

"End this Cavil" said the number six, "enough is enough"

"Why sister, you disappoint me, I thought..." he was interrupted by a number eight

"Wait, look, they're...heading right towards us" the look of fear filled the eights face.

Cavil placed his hands into the stream, his eyes grew narrow as he looked at his approaching death... "Those mother fra..."

Bright flashes filled the empty void of space as the civilian ship's burst into existence. Immediately Colonial transponder's appeared on their DRADIS screens...

Colonial One...

Celestial Queen...

...and...

Galactica


End file.
